When Man-Made by K.E. Rodgers
Chapter 8
Several hours later, we were on the move again. I had slept fitfully on the uncomfortable bed, while Casian had snored like an animal on the cold floor. He could sleep anywhere it seemed and even under the direst conditions. I wasn’t foolish enough to think that they had simply stopped hunting for us. Until we reached the border gates we were still under threat from my people.
“Why were you alone when they captured you?” I questioned him as we drew closer to a large chamber, a meeting room.
“I was separated from my pack. We were scavenging an area just to the west of your borders. A group of vagabonds attacked; wounded two of my friends. I stayed behind to patch them up while the others went after our attackers.” Grief touched his eyes before he composed himself. “They died from exposure to the elements.”
“I’m sorry,” I consoled him. I wondered if his friends had been brought to our city, if we could have saved them. The outside world was harsh, he had admitted as much. “And then you were attacked again by my people. Why must we be so cruel to each other?”
“Your friend was right. You do have a kind heart. And no, they couldn’t have been saved, even by your technician’s.” He saw my expression, but continued. “I can’t help but read your thoughts; your mind is very fascinating. I can’t help myself.”
“My people are different,” he clarified. “You noticed it when they had me on the examining table. I’m not easily explainable to your people. We have evolved under a different environment than yours and so our genetic blueprints have been altered to suit our environment. Therefore your medical technician’s expertise would likely have not been enough. It is unfortunate, but sadly true.”
“But you’re still human, aren’t you?” I didn’t think I could accept falling in love outside my own species. Then I caught myself on the thought and prayed that he hadn’t heard me admit such a thing. Was it true? Could I be falling and or have fallen in love with this gloriously strange and unknown man/beast from the outside? I think the answer was unexpected, but yes.
People didn’t just announce such affections for one another, not when they had only been in each other’s presence for a scant day. It was just a chemical reaction, nothing more. But then it wasn’t. I couldn’t decide my own thoughts. Was this real, or a monetary infatuation? I was not a hopeless romantic, two words I steered far away from. I was a realist. However, every fiber in my being convinced me I wasn’t a fool to believe in the seemingly impossible. This intangible life form, love, which even my people couldn’t crack the code to, at least not fully. Love for him, it was not something I thought to know, nor did I even think to believe such a thing existed.
“Yes, I’m human.”
“That’s good,” I answered hastily.
“I guess it is.”
We were quiet for several minutes. What was he thinking? He had the luxury of reading my thoughts so easily. For once I wish I had the capacity to use such means to understand another person. He had been very kind to me, but that didn’t mean anything. We were allies, nothing more and I shouldn’t have thought that he would think of me as anything other than a trusted friend. Throughout this adventure he had been nothing but polite to me, too polite maybe. Did he think of me as a sister? I didn’t want to know, but it would make sense.
I sighed, not realizing it was audible and not just in my head. I coughed and cleared my throat to cover up the noise. I didn’t think he bought it, as he raised his eyebrows and turned to give me a look. A curious look that said he understood more than I about what was going on.
“You think a lot, about many complicated things. It almost makes my brain hurt to follow along. If you want to know what I’m thinking, you have only to ask me.”
We stopped walking, finding ourselves in the large meeting chamber that was once used by my ancestors to make future plans for our world. It was within these walls that they had constructed our world and it was here, in this room, that I would change my own future.
“What are you thinking, Casian?” I asked, laying the groundwork for whatever would come next.
“I’m thinking that you worry about too many things, that you contradict yourself and your own feelings about me because you have a skewed opinion of yourself. I must be dense because I didn’t think I was being polite. I think the term I would have used was suave.” He looked down at me from his advanced height and frowned. “You did think I was charming, didn’t you? Why would I act charmingly to someone I thought of as a sister? Not to mention the fact that I stole you away from your people and I do not intend to let you go.” He raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Unless of course you wish to return, I wouldn’t force you. I might be a man/beast but I’m not a monster to take away someone’s choice.”
“You didn’t steal me away,” I assured him. “I made my choice to follow you and I intend to do so. As for charming, I just thought you were being nice because I saved you. You’re just so very,” I made waving hands around his person, showcasing his otherworldly perfection, “and I’m so not,” pointing to myself; trying to explain that I was just an average, not so perfect specimen. Some people in my world went to great lengths to make their selves more appealing to one another. I couldn’t do that. Nature created me to look a certain way and I didn’t want to change myself. Though sometimes, like now, I wish I was different. My people’s motto was in the creation of a better world and that included their own bodies.
“Lora,” he said my name, the sweetest emotion tinting his voice and then the unexpected happened. He kissed me. Suddenly he pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine and it was divine magic, a creation all its own. It was wonderful, mind altering. I was changed forever.
He pulled his lips away, but kept his face close to mine. “Do you think I’m being nice now?” he asked, his voice dropping to a deeper, richer tone. “Have I convinced you yet that you’re not just my ally, or my saving angel? I know this is soon and we don’t know each other very well, but can you accept for now that whatever feelings you have for me, I reciprocate them tenfold?”
I could see his lightning tattoo was etched across his face again. “Your tattoo is back. At first I thought I only imagined it. Do you really feel the same way about me as I do about you? You know this is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, I just met you and you just met me. How could anyone feel so strongly about another person? Perhaps you’re misguided, I saved you and you think you’re in love with me.” I would have rambled on, but he stopped me with another kiss.
“I’m not misguided and neither are you. My people believe that it is the nature of our species to seek out another that calls to us, calls to the soul and that sometimes the call is so strong it can unite even the most unlikely of couples. I believe it was my destiny to find you and for you to find me. I have been upon this world a score and seven years and in all that time I have never felt the call to another soul until you.”
“You’re like one of those characters in a love story that’s just too good to be true, but I think I’ll keep you just the same,” I said with sarcasm, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Hopefully I’ll find some flaw about you that will prove you’re real.”
“I snore very loudly, like a wild dog. Is that correct?” He grinned, knowing my earlier assessment of his sleeping habits.
“Yes, that’s one count against you,” I teased.
“Will you still keep me if I snore?” he whispered, drawing my face closer, kissing my forehead. “Will you keep this man/beast even if he takes you away from everything you’ve ever known?”
“Yes,” I answered. Touching his cheek, drawing a line along the pattern the tattoo made on his face. I pulled his lips to mine, kissing him with everything I had, my very soul I gave into his keeping.
“It is very disappointing, Lora, to find you have taken up with an animal from the outside.” Mr. Rockthorn’s voice reverberated in the otherwise quiet interior of the large chamber we were standing in.
I pulled back, away
“Hanna,” Mr. Rockthorn addressed her informally. They were close friends. “What sort of morals have you been instilling in your child that would cause her to behave so disgracefully?”
My mother didn’t turn to answer him, her focus completely on myself and Casian. Again, I wished I had the ability to read thoughts. She alone held the most power over me. Though I knew that she could never change my heart, she could severely damage it if she sided against me today. And I could never forgive myself if I forced her to side against my people even though that was exactly what I asking her to do.
I felt Casian take my shoulders, forcing me to stand behind him. “You are overly confident,” he spoke to Mr. Rockthorn, authority in his voice as if he addressed someone not his equal. “There was a time when you were a great man, but you let corruption into your soul and your visions for your people are quickly falling away from you as each day passes. Times are changing and you have only just begun to see their effects.” He walked the distance between them. I took his hand and followed beside him. “And if you ever think to disrespect the woman beside me or her mother, I will be more than willing to show you the nature of the beast.” Casian plastered a wolfish smile, showing his teeth, his canines’ shaper than our peoples. “I trust you understand me.”
Mr. Rockthorn looked like he had something caught in his throat, fear perhaps. He took several steps back, shoving an armed guard in front of him for protection. “Shoot them, shoot them now!” he roared at the others in the room. “She is a traitor to her people and he has been sent to destroy us all. Take them down now.”
I pulled Casian away from the guard pushed by Mr. Rockthorn into action. I would have run with him, most precedent in my mind the need to protect myself and Casian. We were unarmed and outnumbered. This time, we couldn’t outwit them.
“Stop,” I heard her voice, loud and carrying throughout the room. Instantly all were still in the room. The guard in front of us, his weapon inches from my face. He lowered it, turning to wait out my mother’s next orders.
“Do you think to usurp my authority in this matter?” Mr. Rockthorn raged as she closed in on us from across the room. Standing in front of Mr. Rockthorn, she looked up at him with a stare that forced him to look away.
“You have bullied your last today, Herbert.” With those words, she punched him in the gut, backhanding him across the face. He went down hard, knocking him out with the fall. “You threaten my daughter and her chosen and I will see you rot in jail for the rest of your sad little life.” To the others she addressed the words. “The threat has been alleviated. Let us return to our normal duties. Someone pick this,” pointing to Mr. Rockthorn on the floor, “up and take him back to his office.” She commanded them with the authority she was born with, “Now go.”
Within minutes we were left alone, only my mother and Zeke stayed behind. I refused to let go of Casian’s hand, as he refused to relinquish mine. My mother eyed us both carefully before turning to Zeke. “You may return as well. Lora is in safe hands.”
He nodded, looking at me before he left. “I didn’t betray you, Lora. Mr. Rockthorn had someone read my thoughts, and he found out how you were going to escape. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“You’re my best friend in this world, Zeke. If not for you, we would never have been able to reach the borders.” I was leaving them all behind. I felt myself caught up by my emotions again. Biting back the tears I couldn’t let fall I said, “I won’t ever forget you, not ever.”
He smiled, his own eyes misty. Then turned and left. I wondered if I would ever see him again. I hoped the answer was yes.
“You will take care of my child, won’t you young man? I could not bear to have my girl leave me without knowing she is well cared for?” Casian nodded. My mother turned her focus on me “And you, my fierce little protector, will you take care of him and keep him from harm?” I nodded. She nodded her own head in approval, kissing both of our cheeks before stepping away. “Go, seek the future and change the world.” A single tear slipped from her cheek. Then she too turned away and was gone.
Several months later…
I stood upon the face of a mountain, staring down at the only world I had ever known. We had retraced our steps to return here to see the enclosed city that had once been my home.
The vast world within a world, the city where man ruled and where man-made. When man made my world, it had envisioned a land separate and controlled. But it had only been an illusion. On the outside I could see the ruin that I had once believed was our sanctuary.
One day my people would have to know the truth. And one day I would return to them and free them from their own fear. Their world and the world outside it were changing, nothing ever remained the same. Already, a threat was rising. Casian had been the first to find us from the outside, but others would come and those who did would not be as friendly or understanding as he. My people could not hide forever.
“It smells so different out here.” I breathed the air, the forest around us. I couldn’t get enough of it.
“While I appreciate the philosophy of stopping and smelling the roses,” Casian said, holding me to his side as we looked down on the domed city. “Do you have to smell every one of them we pass?”
I poked him in the ribs. “Yes, every one of them,” I answered, holding the flower I had picked, rolling it between my fingers.
“And the grass, how many blades of grass do you think I can stuff in my pocket today? Do you really need them all?” I had found different designs of grasses on our journey, forcing him to put each one in his pocket so I could later examine them.
“At least a dozen more, I need a large quantity if I am to do any kind of adequate testing on them. I think the composition has altered over the years. I’m surprised that the land has turned so fertile again. This world is very good at regeneration; it would be something to see how far it has reached. Other humans must know about this. I have heard that there are man-made communities reaching far into the east and north. We could go there, tell them the land has changed.”
Casian stopped me from continuing, his fingers pressing against my lips to quiet me. “You are your mother’s daughter after all. Your Nani would be very proud of you.” Then he kissed me and our world’s converged. The world of man and the world of nature had found each other, both of our world’s changing forever. I had leapt from the comfort of everything I had once known, praying someone would catch my fall. It had been Casian who saved me. No. We had saved each other and we would set out now to save both of our worlds. Our life’s journey had just begun.
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The End.
Divine Kingdom
Shadow Musique
Rainbow Heart
Life in Pause
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